DarkSky Southern Arizona
DarkSky Southern Arizona is an official Chapter of DarkSky International, a leading non-profit working to restore the nighttime environment and protect communities from the harmful effects of light pollution through outreach, advocacy, conservation and research.
Representing the beautiful lands and places of southern Arizona, our chapter’s mission focuses on the protection of our local communities, wildlife, and astronomical activities. We are here to help individuals and organizations solve their local light pollution problems.
We also advocate for better outdoor lighting ordinances throughout the region and actively promote responsible Astrotourism in and around the area. We can show you where in southern Arizona to find beautiful dark and starry skies. Our region encompasses Southern Arizona, roughly south of the Phoenix area and serves the counties of Yuma, a portion of Maricopa, Pinal, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise.
WHAT WE DO
Education & Outreach
We actively work to educate people in the area about the importance of the nighttime environment and how we can work together to protect it. Our outreach centers on the Five Principles of Responsible Outdoor Lighting at night, providing people and communities with solutions to reduce light pollution.
Conservation
From iconic saguaro forests to mountain sky islands, southern Arizona is an ecological gem with incredible biodiversity. These unique ecosystems depend on dark skies. We work to protect the nighttime environment by advocating for new and expanded Dark Sky Places, Dark Sky Parks, Reserves, and Sanctuaries for stargazers and animals alike.
Local Lighting Codes
Our team of volunteers helps communities, HOAs and cities adopt, implement, and enforce comprehensive lighting codes and statutes proven to reduce light pollution. Such policies help protect surrounding ecosystems, save money and resources, and even enhance community safety.
Research
The Dark Sky Network (DSN)
Mounting evidence shows that light pollution is worsening across Southern Arizona, threatening astronomy, wildlife, and human health. Satellite imaging provides an incomplete picture of the true extent of artificial light at night (ALAN). To improve our understanding of the evolution of light pollution in our region, we designed the Dark Sky Network (DSN), securing funding and developing new software to deploy a region-wide network of Sky Quality Meters (SQM) and Telescope Encoder and Sensor Systems (TESS). The DSN’s mission is to deliver continuous measurements of night sky brightness (NSB). These data are the ground truth for ALAN, enabling communities to recognize long-term degradation of the night sky and to respond in a timely fashion to any increases in light pollution. We started deploying DSN sensors in May 2025, establishing a foundation for long-term monitoring. The results will be public to all, and crucial not only for protecting Southern Arizona’s internationally renowned observatories, but also for safeguarding ecosystems and maintaining the cultural and human heritage of truly dark skies.
Why it matters
Southern Arizona is home to world-famous astronomical observatories and has been called the “world capital of astronomy.” The region’s dark skies are worth over $550 million annually to the local economy and support thousands of jobs. But light pollution from cities can travel hundreds of miles, threatening these precious dark skies. Unlike other forms of pollution, light pollution also adversely affects virtually every aspect of our ecosystem – almost every living thing on our planet – yet it remains one of the least understood environmental threats.
We rely on the support of community members like you! A gift to DarkSky Southern Arizona is a gift to the night, supporting grassroots initiatives to protect dark skies – keeping our stars shining bright.
Partners
- Arizona State Parks
- Boyce Thompson Arboretum
- Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection
- Friends of Saguaro National Park
- Gold Canyon Community Inc.
- Ironwood Forest National Monument
- Saguaro National Park
- Sky Island Alliance
- Tohono Chul Park
- Tucson Bird Alliance